Recollected Memories
by MCCP2000
Summary: A series consisting of little drabbles, all for fun and happiness. Many will contain ElliexRiley, with some set in a modern time, and some in the game's time. Enjoy :)
1. Starbucks 'Date'

**(First off, a HUGE shout-out to Tacoswimmer. She's helped me so much with writing and correcting this drabble. Thank you!)**

**Okay, so here's a little drabble that I decided would be good to kick off the series. This series will consist of separate one-shots, some set in modern time, and some set during the games time. Not all will be ElliexRiley, but don't be surprised to run across multiple ones in this series. I'll take suggestions or requests, happy reading!**

* * *

The glowing clock digits changed in the blink of an eye.

7:00 pm.

Thirty more minutes.

Half an hour left before I'd leave to pick you up. Half an hour left before we'd be driving to the cafe. Half an hour left before we'd be sitting in the warm atmosphere of the bistro, surrounded by collage students sipping their caffeinated drinks while intently scribbling or typing to catch up on postponed papers.

"Starbucks?" You had suggested the chilly night before, your voice coming through the fuzzy cell phone speaker as I fumbled with the strings on my sweatshirt. "I've been pretty busy lately, but I'm free tomorrow. How's seven thirty?"

Starbucks. Huh, how cliche.

And then, agreeing with your proposal, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the next day. With my tough tied, my stomach impossibly fluttery, and my energy through the roof, I hung up the phone, ready to burst with elation.

Because you basically just asked me out.

Perhaps I was looking too much into this, but after weeks of booked schedules and missed opportunities, you and I were finally going to hang out. I've assumed by now that this means much more to me than it does to you, but I'm going to enjoy it no matter what.

Now the time has come for me to do what I've considered all day. I'm going to wear my hair down. You, Riley Abel, are the one and only person who has _ever_ given me the temptation to wear my hair down. I hope you're feeling pretty damned special.

I glanced up to the clock once more.

7:02 pm.

"Okay" I held the brush in my palm, using the other hand to grip the hair-tie holding my hair in it's trademark style. "Here we go... Okay"

I began counting, "One... two..." _  
_

Gripping the hair tie, I spoke the finale number.

"Three!" With a little yank I watched the auburn locks fall down to just above my shoulders. With managing to conquer the biggest obstacle, I brushed through my hair, adding sprays, perfumes, and oils, praying to god that sometime tonight you'd comment on it. Even one little fucking comment would be enough. With my hair completed, I grabbed multiple scents sitting on the vanity and sprayed them like hell. Whatever smelled sweet, I put it on. Whatever smelled sexy, I put it on. Whatever had a smell, _I put it on. _

Capping the last bottle, and smelling like the perfume department in the mall, I took a gander at what my hard work had done. My green eyes stared back at me. The girl in the mirror nodded to reassure me. "You got this," I whispered to the reflection, "yeah... you got this."

Breaking the gaze with myself, I glanced at the clock.

7:18 pm.

My lungs inhaled deeply, and then released, "Lets do this."

Grabbing my light brown, leather jacket and sporting navy blue Converse sneakers, in consideration that moccasins were too casual and heels were too flashy, I fled my house to fetch the fair maiden from her castle

* * *

Heat blasted from the air vents as I methodically tapped the steering wheel with my fingers. I directed my eyes toward the car radio.

7:44 pm.

A long sigh escaped from my lips.

You were late.

By fourteen minutes.

Well, I mean what was I expecting? This is you, Riley. You and you're fucking outstanding high school achievement of being late to class thirteen times in a row. You've obviously tidied up a bit since collage though, considering if you hadn't you would've been kicked out by now.

Trying to be patient I waited as long as I could before glancing at the clock again.

7:44 pm.

No even a goddamned minute had passed?! Fuck this.

I laid on the horn. Letting it ring for about a second.

...

No reply, so I did it again.

And again,

And again,

And-

"Ellie!"

Ah, there you were.

The door of Marlene's house flung open, revealing you and the monster of a jacket you were struggling to put on. I chuckled and unlocked the door as you approached.

"You don't have to honk like a fucking maniac." Was the first thing you said, under the heated air and the fragrance of mixed cologne.

"Well," I smiled as I watched you heave yourself inside, "I wouldn't have to if your slow ass was on time for once."

"Uh, hello?" you scoffed, "This is Marlene's place, not my dorm. Go do your honking there."

"Fair enough... how come you're holed up here, anyway?"

"Rent's a bitch." A slight pause, "And technically she's not my aunt. She's uh... it's, um, complicated."

"Gotcha"

...

After the moments of silence her eyes seemed to spot something.

"Hey, your hair's down. Cute."

_Cute. _I did my best to conceal the redness spreading on my cheeks. "Wow, nice find, Sherlock."

I waited for a reply, but wasn't given one. You and your fucking fantastic brown eyes were looking back into my green ones. There was something different about your expression. Maybe all this cologne was doing things to my mind...

And then I was positive it wasn't.

Because you were nearing me.

Riley Abel, you, were nearing me.

My knuckles were bright white from gripping onto the steering wheel so fucking tight that I was probable leaving indents in the rubber.

I was considering leaning in too, until you took a loud, disturbing sniff, completely obliterating all my daydreams and fantasies.

"Are you... like, wearing perfume or something?" She took another sniff, "What brand is that?"

"Uhm... what?"

"What kind? Armani? Klein?"

"Oh..." My cheeks were heating up, how the hell do I explain the array of perfumes layered on top of each other? "Um..."

The digital clock in the car beeped.

7:49 pm.

"Oh shit" you hissed while cringing at the time, "So much for seven thirty... sorry"

I let out a long sigh and shifted the car into gear, "Let's just get to the fucking Starbucks."

* * *

After a few minutes of riding in silence, you reached forward and switched on the radio.

_"Drive a little slow, don't matter __where __we're __goin'_

_as long as I'm __with you, we can take the long way."_

Are you fucking kidding me...

Of course it's this song... goddammit.

You smiled as you listened, obviously enjoying yourself.

_"Drive a little slow, not ready to go home. I'd _

_rather __stay __with you, we can take the long way out."_

Glancing over at you I could see the street lights making your skin shine with orange and gold tones, and your lips moving along with the words, but no sound coming out. I continued to glance between you and the road, lost in admiration for you and what any normal person would call perfections.

On about the fourth time I glanced over, you mirrored my movement, making our eyes lock.

Snapping out of the trance, I began stuttering, "I-um- I-I think we're almost to the... um starbucks."

You nodded, and then gave me a look that I couldn't quite decipher. It seemed almost like a smile, but there was something else... anger, maybe? Sadness?

Wait... no, it couldn't be. The famous Riley Abel is confident. The famous Riley Abel can handle herself. The famous Riley Abel doesn't give a fuck about what people say or think.

But, the famous Riley Abel, possibly for the first time, was embarrassed.

Looking away immediately, I glued my eyes to the road as the thoughts began.

You, the confident and all-powerful Riley, were embarrassed because of me. Normally she would've given me a "you're creeping me the fuck out" look and then turned away, once again not caring what I or others did. But this time was different.

Come to think of it, I've never seen Riley embarrassed. She just doesn't get giddy or clumsy like I do. She's cool and collected... never embarrassed.

My thought's were interrupted by the green sign, glowing just down the street.

"There it is." You said holding a finger out in the direction of it.

After arriving a few moments later, we exited the car and made our way to the entrance.

You reached a hand out and gripped the handle pulling the door open, but taking a step back as you did.

Switching my eyes between the open door and you I stood for a second, unsure of what exactly I, or you, were doing.

"If you don't go in then I will, it's fucking cold out here." You clenched your shoulders and nodded your head into the cafe.

"Oh uh- yeah," Warm air rushed to greet me as I stepped inside with a smile, "thanks"

"Go get a table, I'll get the drinks." you told me while walking in and turning in the direction of the counter.

"Caramel latte!" I called

You smiled that fucking perfect, elegant, butterfly inducing smile of yours and said, "Yeah yeah, I got it." while walking over to order.

Sitting down at a small, cornered table, I watched you order our drinks.

You walked and talked with your normal confidence, but there was something a little off about your standard attitude.

You seemed brighter. More... flirtatious.

I glanced around searching for the reason of your actions. And then I spotted him. The barista, serving you with a handsome smile, perfectly styled hair, and a chiseled jaw-line.

My eyes narrowed slightly as I felt the jealousy creeping up into my system.

Barista Boy walked from one end of the counter to the other, carrying our drinks. Your bright eyes followed every movement he made.

With a dashing smile, he approached you and held out the drinks, one in each hand. You reached forward, showing off an even more perfect smile, and kept eye contact while taking the drinks, your fingers brushing his.

My heart lightly skipped a beat as my fists clenched. I jerked my head away from the scene, jealousy filling every fiber of me.

_Calm down, Ellie. Don't make such a big fucking deal out of this. She's not even yours, you have no say in who or what she takes interest in. Calm the fuck down._

You approached, beaming with enthusiasm, and took a seat down across from me.

"Did you see that guy!?" You whispered while handing me my drink.

I fixed my gaze to the top of my coffee cup, "Uh... yeah"

"Isn't he _hot_?!" You put emphasis on the word "hot."

Shrugging my shoulders I mumbled, "He's not bad."

You put on a dead-pan expression, "Seriously?"

"I mean he's not _that_ hot."

Shaking your head, you continued, "Whatever, well besides looks, he was also very charming, and sweet."

"Yeah... he seemed okay..." I sort of trailed off, very bored with the topic.

"He reminded me of you." You said taking a sip of your caffeinated beverage.

Snapping my head up I replied with curiosity, "Wait, what?"

You looked at me strangely, maybe I had seemed _too _curious...

"I said he reminded me of you. He had green eyes almost identical to yours."

Oh.

"He's got some fucking fantastic eyes then." I nodded while taking a drink of my coffee.

You chuckled, "He sure does."

_Was that a compliment directed towards me or him..?_

* * *

Almost an hour passed as we talked... well more like _I_ talked. You, my best friend, who was supposed to be paying attention to me, were too busy staring at Barista Boy.

"Are there any classes you've taken that you'd recommend for my second year? I'm kinda lost on what to do once this year wraps up." I sipped from my half empty coffee cup, "Riley..."

You slowly directed your gaze towards _me_, instead of the counter to the right of us, "Hm?" You asked, being completely oblivious to what I had just previously said.

"I asked you if there are any classes you'd recommend for my second year."

You took another swig of your coffee, "Oh, well... I'm taking a course called 'Art and Visual Culture', I think. It's not bad and you'd probably take interest in it, might direct you towards a new... uhm..." Your eyes slowly left me and drifted back to their original target, Barista Boy.

"Hellooo..." I held out the last syllable, "Riley…"

You continued to ignore me.

_Don't make a big deal out of this. Don't loose your temper._

"Towards a new... what?"

_Keep your cool, Ellie._

"You gonna answer me anytime today?"

_Keep your cool._

"Riley!" I spoke your name a little louder than the last few times. You still ignored me, "Ugh!" I huffed while grabbing my jacket, standing up and rushing out of the cafe, leaving you and my half empty cup of coffee at the table. Just as the door began to close I heard my name faintly being called by a familiar voice.

Shouldering on my jacket, I jogged to the car and tumbled into it. With a slam of the door and a long sigh escaping my lips, I sat there, staring at the snow lightly floating down onto the car windshield.

_Dammit Ellie, you lost your cool._

Suddenly the passenger door swung open and you plopped down next to me, while throwing your jacket into the backseat.

"Ellie, what the fuck?" You slammed the door and asked, seemingly disgusted by my little scene.

_"What the fuck?" _I repeated incredulously, "You were barely listening to a single word I said!"

"So what?! You saw that guy in there, why wouldn't I pay more attention to him?!"

"Because I'm your fucking best friend! _Me!_ Not Barista Boy! We haven't hung out in, I don't even know how long, and you want to throw it away by staring at some guy?!"

"Ugh, whatever! Fuck this...", all your anger seemed to evaporate from you in the form of a sigh, "Just take me home."

My breath caught in my throat and my heart felt colder than the snow falling outside, "Fine..." Letting out a long sigh and shifting the car into gear, we began the silent journey back home. No talking. No glances. No radio. Nothing.

* * *

I slowed the car to a stop, and watched as you got out, turning only to utter a single goodbye, and then shutting the door.

You jogged up to Marlene's front door while I sat in silence. The feeling that someone was suffocating me began to overtake my neck and chest area. It's the feeling that you get when you're about to cry. But, I inhaled and exhaled, refusing to let this cause me so much pain. Collecting myself and laying my hand on the steering wheel, I almost drove away, but I remembered something. Her jacket.

I once again let out a long sigh, "Dammit Riley..."

After putting the car in park and fishing her jacket out of the back seat, I began to slowly make my way up to the front porch.

My feet felt like they were made out of pure lead and my lungs refused to function.

I drug my lead feet up to the front door and held my finger out, hovering above the doorbell.

Attempting to take one last deep breath, I rung the bell, awaiting a fierce look from Riley, the swipe of her jacket being ripped from my hands, and the door slamming in my face.

But, instead of a fierce look from Riley, I got a fierce look from her 'aunt.' Her fucking terrifying, tough as nails, 'aunt.' I'm pretty sure Riley referred to her as Marlene.

She opened the door just enough for her head to poke out, "Who are you? What do you want?" The harsh, monotone questions emitting from her faster than I could attempt to form a proper introduction.

"I um... Riley forgot her jacket... could I maybe, talk to her?"

Marlene looked me up and down and then pulled her head in to call your name.

I heard little taps of feet inside before you emerged at the door, "Ellie..." Rather than anger, your face held relief. You nodded at Marlene, and then opened the door fully, so you could step out onto the porch. Shutting the door behind you, you crossed your arms, trying to conserve body heat in the cold.

"You um..." I held out your black jacket, "You forgot this..."

"Oh... uh thanks." You slowly took the jacket and stood there eyeing your bare feet, curled up on the cold cement.

We stood in a tense silence for a few seconds, neither of us knowing were to begin. But, coincidentally we both broke the silence at the same time.

"Ellie, Riley look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean, I should've..." Our sentences collided together, causing both of us to stop.

I stared in your deep, dark brown eyes, while your stared into my bright, glowing green ones. I began again first.

"Riley... I'm sorry about my little scene, and for yelling at you... It's just... You don't usually get distracted by guys, so I guess I just wasn't used to it..."

"Ellie no, it's my fault. I should've been paying more attention to you... but I just don't understand why you got so pissed about it..."

"I don't know..." I shrugged while heat began creeping up on my cheeks. "I just... want you to notice me more, and we haven't seen each other for awhile, and every time I go somewhere with you it's special to me," My words were getting faster and faster and before I knew it they were spilling out of my mouth without any thought, "and seeing you get so attracted to these guys that you ignore me just makes me jealous, and you're just so great and I just _really _like you, so it's hard-" I stopped abruptly, the terrifying realization of what I had just said hitting me.

_Did I just... Oh God, no... Please tell me I didn't just admit it. _

You fixed your gaze on me and intently stared into my eyes, "Wait, you what?"

I had no fucking clue of what to do or say next. How the hell did I achieve such a major fuck up?

But, you continued before I could come up with some stumbling, rushed excuse.

"Ellie… you…" A pause, obviously thousands of thoughts were turning over in your mind, "..._like_ me?"

My heart could've powered a house when I walked up here with how fast it was beating, but now it could power the entire city, no doubt. "N-no, I-I actually have to go, so I'll see ya some other time, right?" I brushed past you and began to make my way down the steps, "Yeah, cool. Thanks, talk to you some other time." I waved my hand and turned walking as fast as I could back to my car, heat flooding over my entire face. I was almost there when I felt a hand grab my arm and spin me around. Without a single warning you closed your eyes and pushed your lips into mine. My bright eyes were held wide open, filled with surprise, and my mind and body were in complete shock.

Before I even knew how to react you pulled away and grabbed my hands, lacing our fingers together, "Don't worry... I like you too, Ellie."

A huge gawky smile plastered itself onto my face. You chuckled and pulled me by the hand back up towards the front door, "Now let's get inside, my feet are fucking freezing."

* * *

**(Btw the song used is Long Drive by Jason Mraz)**

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	2. Chemistry Mishaps

**Hello again! Thank you for the reviews, I appreciate them a ton. Especially 'TheBewildered' who introduced this chapters idea :) This is once again an ElliexRiley because people seemed to really like them together. Thanks again, happy reading! **

* * *

Ellie sat in chemistry class, staring blankly at a wall, just as she had been for the past ten minutes. She had one arm propping her head up and the other picking at a hangnail on her unpainted fingertips while the teacher droned on as he would any standard, insignificant day. But, the usual lectures were cut short due to the experiment that had given the class slight excitement for the end of the week.

"Find your partners!" The hefty voice barked as a loud clap emitted from the front of the room, snapping Ellie out of her trance just as students began standing and cruising around the classroom in search of their friends. Ellie sat kicked back in her seat knowing her friend/partner would come to greet her on her own.

Just as she had expected the dark skinned girl shuffled between groups of students, occasionally pushing a few particular douche bags out of the way, and grabbed a seat next to Ellie.

"You ready for this?" The older girl asked with enthusiasm.

Ellie, having very little clue as to what was happening replied, "Ready for what?"

"The experiment." Riley said simply, "You know the one 'professor dickhead' has been explaining for the last ten minutes..."

Ellie shook her head, "No clue what your talking about."

Letting out a sigh and placing a hand on her forehead she gave Ellie the rap.

"So then you put the mint things into the Coke bottle all at once and-" Riley was interrupted by a deep voice bellowing a command from the front of the room, "Come get the supplies!" It yelled and repeated three goddamn times.

Riley got up, "Come on, let's go get the shit." She grabbed Ellie's hand and heaved her out of the chair. While following her friend, Ellie chuckled and attempted to whisper, "Riley we're in school! Don't fucking swear!"

"Williams!" A loud voice boomed from the girls left.

Apparently it hadn't been said as quietly as she thought.

Glancing up they were greeted by a large, overweight man with thinning hair and a nose so red it looked like a cherry. Known by his well-fitting nickname of 'Professor Dickhead', he continued to scold, "Is that anyway to speak in this school!?"

The girls along with the whole classroom had froze.

Ellie glanced at the ground, "No sir." She replied flatly. Having been in this situation multiple times, she knew how to coolly handle these kind of things.

"I hear it again you'll have yourself a detention." The red-faced man shoved a big fat finger in Ellie's face, before turning back to the group he was originally talking to. The rest of the class slowly cranked back into gear, as Riley stood attempting to stifle her laughter.

Ellie looked towards her friend and failed to hold back a grin, "Yeah, whatever just go get the experiment stuff." She tried to point towards the table holding the supplies, but was instead hit with the realization that her hand was still being held by Riley's.

Riley noticing this too, released the younger girls hand with a sheepish grin, "Uh, sorry."

"Yeah, let's just go get the supplies." Ellie said while redness began to brighten her cheeks. She'd always thought of Riley as a friend, but lately something more seemed to be creeping up into her mind... Whatever, she dismissed the thought, just like she always did, as they approached the table at the front of the room that held the supplies in neat rows and piles.

Gathering the stock, which consisted of a piece of paper, a 2 liter bottle of Coke, and a roll of Mentos, the girls headed back to Ellie's desk.

Ellie set down the roll of mentos and picked up the plain white sheet of paper, "So... what? Do we like make a tube with this?" she asked Riley while rolling and unrolling the paper.

Riley rolled her eyes, "Were you even listening to a word I said?"

Ellie just replied with a shrug and an apologetic look on her face.

Riley sighed and let out a halfhearted, "Mhm, we need tape though."

"Yeah no dip," Ellie replied, "go get it."

"Whatever... bossy." Riley left with a small smirk, but before she got less than five feet away she spun around on her heel and eyed Ellie keenly, "_Do not_ touch anything."

The younger girl scoffed, "Pfft, yeah whatever."

Riley eventually left, after badgering Ellie a little bit more, and went off to scrounge up the needed tape.

Ellie turned back to the supplies and tried to replay what Riley had said about performing the experiment.

She pondered for a moment while chewing her bottom lip, "Hm..." She picked up the roll of mentos and eyed them, "Didn't she say something about putting these in the soda?" She paused,"Yeah... yeah she did. I definitely remember her saying that these go in here." Ellie ripped off the top of the mentos roll with her teeth while untwisting the cap from the soda bottle.

Riley returned with tape just as the last mento plopped into the bubbling drink.

"Ellie no!" She lunged forward, attempting to some how reverse Ellie's senseless actions. The tape tumbled to the floor as the volcano erupted.

A spectacular soda geyser was thrown almost five feet up in the air, just enough to lick the ceiling, before falling back down and splattering the majority of the classroom with sugary fizz, "Oh shit..." Ellie muttered, regret lodging snugly into her brain. The girls both threw their hands over the top of the spout, attempting to stop the soda from creating an even larger mess, but their efforts were futile as the soda spewed from in between their fingers, spraying them and surrounding classmates.

The pupils closest to the spout skidded away from the tables they were leaning on to escape being soaked any further. Professor Dickhead stood watching in shock, his face getting redder by the second. And the girls both cursed under their breath as the soda continued to flow onto the table and to the floor.

After what felt like an eternity, the flow of soda emitting from the bottle slowed and the girls stood motionless with their hands still clasped to the top of the bottle, their breathing heavy.

Ellie hung her head low, "Nice one Ellie... Real fucking nice..." She whispered to herself.

The classroom was dead silent. Not a muscle was moved. Not a single word was spoken. The only sound was droplets of soda falling from the edge of the desk to plop into the half inch deep puddle formed on the ground.

Both girls faces glowed almost as red as Professor Dickheads as he turned towards them, probably ready to tear their fucking heads off. Literally.

With his breath shaking from anger he spoke only a few sentences through his gritted teeth, "Go clean yourselves up. You''ll both be serving a Saturday detention."

The duo slowly removed their hands from the bottle and glanced up to the professor.

"Go." He growled while raising a finger towards the classroom door.

Whilst scrambling to catch their footing on the soda covered tiles, the girls hurried out of the classroom just as their pupils began muttering opinions and comments.

Out in the hallway the duo had time to catch their breath, "Holy shit..." Riley breathed as they slowly walked to the restroom, their shoes squeaking simultaneously.

"Dude, I'm so fucking sorry." Ellie immediately began pleading, "I swear I had no idea that was going to happen. Seriously I just thought-" She was cut off by Riley's... laughter?

Ellie was beyond confused, "Wait... what?" She questioned Riley.

But the later continued to laugh for the next few seconds of walking to the bathroom, and still chuckled as they entered the lavatory.

Ellie stood there with her arms crossed, and a confused expression dressing her face, "So... you're not pissed at me?"

Riley calmed down enough to get a few sentences out, "N-no," She chuckled again. "that was fucking golden." She doubled over in laughter, "Did you see Dickheads face?! Holy shit I didn't think it could get any redder, but boy was I wrong!" She held her cramping stomach.

Ellie joined Riley in laughter, "Heh, I'm pretty sure got Tino soaked!"

Riley put on an exaggerated terrified expression, "Oh no! What if we ruined his 'oh so cool' nikes?!"

"Hopefully we did, maybe he won't fucking brag about them 24/7 anymore." Ellie replied, laughter spilling out of her and Riley's mouths.

Both girls laughed until tears formed at the corners of their eyes. Catching their breathes, they moved to the sinks and attempted to wash out the soda staining their t shirts and jeans.

"Ah, fuck." Ellie hissed as she scrubbed at her shirt, "I don't think this is gonna come out..." She trailed off, going back to scrubbing with the cheapest paper towels on the planet.

Riley was at the sink scrubbing the stickiness from in between her fingers, "Here, maybe this will help." She collected a small handful of water and then flung her hands to the left, splashing the liquid onto the red head next to her.

"Gah! What the fuck!?" The victim yelped, throwing a glare at her attacker.

The later laughed and pointed a finger as small droplets rolled down Ellie's forehead.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" Ellie smirked before running towards her own faucet, turning it on full blast, and then splashing scoops from the running water onto her friend.

Riley jumped back to avoid being completely soaked. She grinned and gathered yet another hand full of water and threw it at Ellie. The two were in full out war when the janitor walked in.

"Agh!" A few droplets landed on her as she stepped onto the battlefield, "What the- What are you two doing?!" She yelled, her short blonde hair bouncing as she ran to turn of the faucets.

Riley and Ellie glanced at each other, attempting to hide their growing smiles.

The blonde eyed them, she recognized them. Being in charge of running after-school detentions, she had seen them multiple times. After taking in there soda stained clothes and drenched appearance she sighed, "You know what... By the looks of you two, you probably already have a detention."

The girls failed to stifle their laughter at this.

The janitor smirked, "I'll take that as a yes."

The girls nodded slightly while reaching over to grab paper towels for themselves. They swiped the drops of water from their skin and clenched there clothes to soak out the water.

"I guess I can let this one slide then..." The janitor smiled and stood leaning against the wall, arms folded across her chest, waiting for them to finish.

Throwing the last crumpled paper towel into the trashcan the girls walked out of the bathroom, with Riley glancing back and calling, "See ya Saturday, Sara!"

Ellie chuckled as they walked back to chemistry, "How much you wanna bet Dickhead's face is still redder than a tomato."

Riley laughed, grabbing the handle to the classroom door, "I'd bet my life on it."

They were disappointed, though, as they walked in to find a pale-faced man, and a few helpful students beginning to sop up the soda that still coated the majority of the floor and multiple desks.

Ellie bumped Riley's shoulder, "Looks like I'm gonna have to kill you." She joked as they walked back to the disaster.

Riley hadn't heard her, being too busy glaring at the handful of classmates that threw her their disapproving looks.

They tip-toed around the puddles and scrubbing students.

Dickhead spotted the girls as they walked in, but just stood with arms crossed, "You three," He addressed the students cleaning, "leave the mess, we're going outside to do the experiment."

Riley and Ellie both shrugged, they had expected to be dogged on the second they walked in. Because of this lack of nagging they turned to join the line of students holding pop bottles and paper tubes, waiting to go outside.

"Stop right there." Dickheads stern voice resonated from behind, "You two will be staying to clean this catastrophic mess up."

Both girls sighed as they returned back to the soda covered desks. Dickhead turned towards the rest of the students, "Let's go" He said simply as he walked towards the classroom door.

The duo were left alone to clean up. Grabbing the paper towels, Ellie sighed and tossed the roll to Riley, "Okay, here ya go, have fun." She said taking a seat in a soda free chair, and kicking her feet up. A grin stretched across her face as she laced her fingers together behind her head.

Riley scoffed, "Yeah right." She chucked the paper towel roll at Ellie, who rose from the chair with a groan, "You're the dipshit who made the mess." She stated while retrieving another roll of towels. The two began working on returning the desks back to their soda free state.

They cleaned in comfortable silence for the first few minutes, occasionally breaking the silence with some small talk. Almost ten minutes had gone by when the girls finished up on the last desk. Standing next to her, Riley suddenly collected Ellie into hug. Ellie was taken aback by Riley's sudden actions. The questions in her brain began speaking as her nervousness grew.

_What had she even done to get a hug from Riley? Was Riley about to pull something? Wait, why was she even thinking about this so much?! This shouldn't make you so fucking nervous, calm down!_

Ellie stood frozen, too surprised to return the hug.

After only a short few seconds, which felt like eternity to Ellie, Riley obliterated all of the younger girl's thoughts by shouting, "Teamwork!" while simultaneously sticking a drenched paper towel between Ellie's shoulder blades, and darting away to prevent getting a knuckle sandwich from the flustered redhead.

Riley ran to the end of the row they were standing in, and turned with a smirk that continued to spread as she watched Ellie struggle to peel off the annoying paper glued onto her t shirt. After a few desperate seconds, Ellie achieved in removing the towel from her back, her next mission was to make Riley pay. She ran towards her friend, who stood unusually calm at the end of the row. She paid very little attention to Ellie, seemingly consumed with the action of admiring her nails.

Ellie darted towards Riley, attempting to catch her off guard, but was sent into a slippery collision with her instead. With the soda still being on the floor, Ellie's shoes lost friction, causing her to tumble into Riley, both of them landing in a heap on the floor, just barely out of reach of one of the many puddles on the floor.

After blurting out a few cuss words, Ellie groaned as she lifted her body up, only to realize that she was now straddling Riley. Her face immediately lit up with crimson colors, she was certain that it could burst into flames any moment now.

Riley was just beginning to laugh as she pulled her upper body off the floor, but was stopped by the acknowledgement Ellie's position. Her face also felt hot, but her dark, coffee colored skin disguised it.

Both of them seemed too embarrassed and stuck in the uncomfortable silence to move or speak. Ellie cursed in her mind, positive that Riley could see her embarrassment, showing through her blushes.

Ellie began stuttering, almost at a whisper, "Uh-um..."

She was interrupted, although saved may be a more fitting word, by the pounding of countless shoes approaching the room.

After scrambling away from Riley, Ellie went to stand up, but slipped once again on the puddles scattered on the floor. "Shit!" She hissed, about to latch onto a desk to support herself, but having steady hands grab her shoulders first.

"Whoa," Riley laughed still holding onto Ellie's shoulders, "Careful."

Ellie laughed nervously, "Heh, yeah. Thanks."

The class barged into the room holding their now empty paper tubes and soda bottles, many engrossed in conversations not related to the experiment.

Riley removed her hands from Ellie's shoulders quickly and turned to grab the paper towel roll, tearing off a towel and handing it to Ellie, who was already on the floor, ready to sop up puddles. The girls worked as if nothing had happened.

Class ended with the girls still scrubbing, but with it being their last class they unfortunately were available to stay and finish the job. The two left the classroom about half an hour later, tossing a now bare paper towel role into the trashcan.

With the duo shouldering on their backpacks as they exited the building, the said their goodbyes

"I'll see ya tomorrow I guess." Ellie said preparing to leave and take her separate path back to her aunts house.

"Yeah," Riley replied, "Tomorrow. A Saturday, spent in this hell-hole." She groaned.

Ellie sighed, "Yeah, sorry again for my slip up today..." She chuckled uneasily.

Riley waved a hand, as if dismissing her apology, "Nah, it's fine. Even though I'll be spending my Saturday here, I'll be spending it with you." The dark skinned girl beamed a smile that Ellie considered to be _perfect_, and turned, beginning her walk home.

_I'll be spending it with you. _For some reason that brought a smile to Ellie's face that was seemingly impossible to get rid of as she walked home, with the excitement for tomorrow already beginning to creep into her mind.

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**So there ya go, hope you liked it as much as the first one, of course there's no kiss this time, but I tried to make sure it was still mildly cute. Please follow, fav, and REVIEW! :) (Still taking requests!)**


	3. Attic Adventures

**Omfg, I apologize so much for not being around like... at all for the past few months. Things with school have just really picked up and I lost a lot of time and energy for writing. But, I'm finally freakin back, and I'm returning with a simple Joel and Ellie chapter. This was requested an extremely long time ago, so I decided to use it to start up on here again. It still might be awhile before the next chapter, but school will be ending soon and I'll have almost complete free time then to read and write. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter, please leave reviews and requests. Love you all for still occasionally viewing this story :) Happy reading!**

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"How the hell do you expect me to find entertainment in this damn town?" Ellie groaned, lounging lazily on the tattered couch, "This winter is never ending..." She huffed, arms crossed and lips pursed, filing through the possible remedies for her boredom.

"Why don't ya read a book or somethin?" the grizzled, bearded guardian replied, seating himself in a chair opposite of the couch, "You always complained to me 'bout not havin' 'nough time to read," He took a sip from the steaming mug he held, filled with warm tea, "now ya got time."

Ellie sat up, "Yeah, but I've already done that. I've read all the books that I have..." She trailed off, preparing to return to her original thoughts of finding a cure for boredom.

But Joel's southern-accented voice stopped her from doing so, "Go find new ones then. There're little stores scatted 'round this whole town."

Ellie blew a loose strand of hair away from her freckled cheeks, "I don't feel like tromping out into the snow though... way too fucking cold." She mumbled the last part, aware that Joel wasn't extremely fond of her swearing.

"Check the attic then." He said flatly

The red head perked up, her boredom already beginning to weather away, "The what?"

"The attic." He repeated, "The one right above us. I havn't had time to search it through, and Tommy told me nobody's been up there for awhile," Another sip of tea, "ya might find somethin interesting"

Ellie sprang from the couch, a smile pulling at her cheeks, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" She beamed while running towards the stairs.

"Pull the string stickin out from the ceiling!" Joel called, a small chuckle escaping his mouth afterwards. He returned to his tea and enjoyed the warmth of the house. Despite it being close to zero outside, the house kept it's heat in and provided a comfy atmosphere for the old-timer and his tea.

Ellie's feet lightly pounded the carpet as she skipped through the halls upstairs, searching for the dangling string that indicated the attic's entrance.

After wandering the corridors for multiple minutes, Ellie returned to where she had begun, unable to find the string.

"What the hell?" A puff of air exited her lungs, "Joel better not have been fucking with me." Her eyes narrowed at the thought. She decided on searching all the rooms instead of the halls. Her feet, once again, tapped away on the floor with every step she took.

Ellie had searched the two bedrooms and single bathroom thoroughly, and she was close to giving up, when a thought popped into her mind.

"The closets." She stated, hope regenerating into her system as she jogged down the hall and stopped halfway, positioned directly in front of the small, hall closet. Gripping the knob, she turned it and yanked open the door.

With a single glance and a smile creeping onto her face, she found the entrance, "Bingo" She said whilst reaching up to pull the cord hanging from the ceiling. Indents surrounding the string formed a rectangle, indicating where the ceiling will pull down.

With a yank, and a few unpleasant creaks, the ceiling opened up as a small step ladder lowered down. Ellie stepped up the dust covered steps, her anticipation growing with every passing second.

After pulling herself up into the upper level and glancing around, she saw a mostly empty room, only a few cardboard boxes and multiple paintings leaning against old, aged wood. A small hexagon on the farthest wall leaked in sunlight, creating a dim, dusty glow that filled the compacted room. Ellie stalked on over to the first out of three boxes and peeked over the side, searching for anything of her interest.

Disappointment blanketed her face as her eyes searched an empty box, "Agh, they all better not be like this." She huffed, making her way to the other box a few feet away. Empty.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She grumbled. The redhead could _feel _her boredom creeping back into her.

Turning towards the wall with the window, she spotted the final box. She made her way to it, the wooden floor creaking after every step, "Alright," She half pleaded, half demanded "you better have something."

Peeking over the edge, she was once again let down, seeing as the box was empty, just as the others were.

"Agh, dammit!" She hissed kicking the empty box across the floor. It glided over the dusty floor, about to collide with the dark corner, but was stopped by an unknown object. Ellie's curiosity, along with slight fear, rose.

Slowly approaching the dark corner, she began to make out a dark figure, just under her height. Her mind would've conceived it to be a human if it weren't for the silver buckles along it's side.

She walked up and tilted the figure away from the wall to examine it, while doing so the slightest bump could be heard within the leather covered container. Ellie carefully set the object on it's side and popped open the three rusty buckles. She slowly opened the lid, revealing an old, but beautiful, acoustic guitar. It's golden base gleamed in the sunlight, untouched by dust or dirt.

The redhead's heart beat quickened as she lowered the lid and snapped the case shut again. She heaved the guitar case to the exit and called down the Joel, "Joel! Joel, come on look what I found! This is sick!" Ellie's smile could be heard in her voice.

After a few silent seconds she began to hear Joel's footsteps pounding up the stairs and echoing down the hallway. His bearded face appeared in the hold in the ceiling, as his eyes met with Ellie's discovery.

"Well I'll be damned..." He trailed off, a smile threatening to break his serious mug.

"Here," Ellie pushed the case towards the hole and held it out towards Joel, "take this." She insisted.

He did as she said and took the object from her grasp, followed by her clambering down the step ladder, excitement fueling her movements.

Joel smiled as the young red head darted towards the stair case, ready to lead him down and set up the guitar. They did just that.

**x**

"Agh!" Ellie's voiced echoed throughout her room, and possibly throughout the halls, her frustration beginning to show, "This is so fucking difficult." She mumbled while returning her fingers to the fret board. The uncomfortable positions and rough strings were taking their toll on her hand as she continued to struggle with the formations. Her finger tips were pink and swollen, and the muscles in her hand begged for relaxation.

It had been two days since Ellie had discovered this treasure, and after Joel had showed her the basics, he left her to it. But, now she was beginning to wish she had never found the thing.

Just as Ellie was about to let out another grunt, Joel had peeked his head into her room, "How's it going, kiddo?" He asked, amusement plainly showing on his face.

"Painful.", the slumped over red head replied.

He chuckled, "It's gonna take awhile. You ain't gonna learn it overnight."

Ellie frowned, "Yeah... I've figured that out by now."

"You want any more help?" Joel asked willingly.

She sat for a moment, well, why not. It's not like it could make her any worse, "Sure" she replied.

Joel stalked over to sit next to Ellie on her bed. The guitar rested in her lap, sitting on top of her crossed legs.

"Alright..." Joel examined the guitar, "what's givin' you the most trouble? Rememberin' the chord names? The chord formations? The strummin'?" He offered these problems to Ellie who replied simply with, "All of it."

He let out a small sigh and then said, "Okay... let's start with the chord formations." He grabbed Ellie's hand and placed it on the first three frets of the guitar, positioning her fingers on three different strings, "Hold that steady now..." He removed his hand from hers and watched as multiple fingers curled back to their more natural position, "Huh uh, you gotta keep them there. I know it hurts your fingertips at first, but you'll build up tougher skin. No matter how hard you have to, press your fingers to the strings," She began to move her fingers to the strings Joel had put her finger to before.

"Like... this?" Her tongue stuck out slightly as she concentrated on her fingertips. They held their correct position on the fret board.

"Yeah, just like that!" Joel encouraged, "Now slowly strum all of the strings down."

Ellie slowly plucked each of the six strings, the tones resonating inside the wooden instrument. The sound rang out, a happy tone filling the room. A smile beamed from Ellie as she plucked them again.

"Perfect," Joel smiled at the young girls excitement, "That's called a C chord, got it?" He asked

Ellie nodded, her smile remaining on her freckled face, "Show me another one, come on!" She begged.

Joel's smile also remained, "You got it..." He grabbed her hand once again and placed her finger on only two strings, "That's an E minor chord, strum all the strings."

Ellie repeated her plucking, the strings ringing out clear once again.

"Holy shit!" Ellie blurted, her excitement rising up again. She went back to the first chord and strummed the strings, it's tone bouncing off the walls. She shifted back to the second chord and played it again.

She got lost in experimenting and exploring her new abilities. Joel slowly got up and left her room.

**x**

After a few weeks Joel would awake to the sound of acoustics ringing throughout the upstairs, and would fall asleep to the same songs. That winter, Ellie was barely seen out of her room.

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**Please follow, fav, and REVIEW! :)**


	4. Rainy Rendezvous- Part 1

**Okay, I'm back, once again. And I've returned with another ElliexRiley one-shot. I'm trying to work up more ideas so I can keep these chapters even slightly more consistent than what's been happening. Hope you enjoy part one of a small two part story. Thanks!**

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A slow, drawn out sigh breezed off of Ellie's lips as she sat on her bed, propped up by the wall, mindlessly skimming through the TV channels, searching for any form of entertainment.

The night had been very quiet, her father working late as usual, leaving the house empty besides the lone girl. It was nights like these that made Ellie wish, deeply, so _painfully __deeply_, for her mother to return. She had passed away soon after giving birth to Ellie, leaving her with the father, who she was lucky to have stay. Ellie's mother was aware of the slim chances of her partner dedicating the rest of his life to their child. But by some miracle, he had taken up the offer.

Ellie had presumed by now that it wasn't exactly done for her, but more for the loss her father felt after her mother passed. As the years went by, her presumption reined true. Her father was very rarely home due to work. And when he was home, he slowly lost interest in his daughter. Ellie might as well be invisible by now. But, she always reminded herself, that there was a roof over her head and food in her stomach. In Ellie's mind, that was enough to be thankful for.

She sat, hugging a pillow, as she switched off the TV. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of her mother, the familiar ache easing its way into her core, bringing Ellie to her side. She laid there, burrowing her face into the pillow that she clung to. The silence around her was suffocating, like it was squeezed and shoved into the room, filling every corner and crevice with tension.

Ellie's mind slowly drifted around thoughts of her mother. Her eye lids drooped and the dark circles around her eyes continued to grow darker and deeper.

A pair of eyes staring into nothing and a mind floating around emptiness. Emptiness... Silence... Nothing...

A quick flash of light bounced across Ellie's eyes and through her room, snapping the girl out of her trance for a moment, before quickly disappearing.

_Dad must be home. He usual isn't back this early though? Whatever, maybe he's trying to take a break. That'd be nice._

Ellie returned to staring, although, things seemed slightly lighter than before. Her Dad's arrival brought Ellie back to reality. Another thing she was thankful for.

She waited a few seconds to hear the front door unlocking, opening, closing, and then locking again. But, there was nothing. She waited longer, straining her ears, waiting for a relieving break in the silence.

_TAP TAP TAP_

_What the fuck!? _Ellie bounced up, her heart nearly coming up her throat, and whipped her head around in search of the tapping.

_TAP TAP TAP_

Ellie identified the placement of the tapping and twisted herself around towards the window. She paused, before taking a few hesitant steps towards it and pulled back the curtain to reveal her best friend, grinning and waving like a five year old through the glass. A sigh flew out of her lungs as she unlocked and forced open the old window. A cool, October breeze flooded into the isolated room, freshening up the dingy space.

"Riley, why the fuck are you at my window!?" Ellie blurted, a smile beginning to rise to the surface, "You do know we have a front door, right?"

"Calm down, short-stuff, I just... wanted to make things interesting." The dark skinned girl replied while glancing up at the red head, hoping to receive a reaction for the use of the nickname. A grin plastered to her face as Ellie rolled her eyes and came back with the usual, "I'm literally only two inches shorter than you" argument. Then continued with, "I thought you were grounded, anyway?"

"Well... yeah, I am, but when has that ever stopped me?" Riley replied with a short giggle, "Anyway..." she leaned her elbows on the window sill, "you got anything goin' on tonight?"

Ellie groaned and motioned to her dark, empty room, "What do you think?"

"I'll take that as a no." She smiled apologetically, aware of Ellie's situation with her father. "In that case, let's get out of here, I got something planned for us."

"Riley..." Ellie made a sweeping motion towards her body, "I'm in my pajamas where the hell were you planning on taking me? Do I have to change?"

"Depends..." Riley replied, "do you wanna attract any _cute boys_?" She wiggled her eyebrows at the last two words, "I'm sure there will be plenty where we're goin."

"I sure don't." Ellie replied simply, while crossing her arms.

"Then don't worry bout it!" Riley beamed, "You look cute anyways... the boys will be flooding in no matter what you're wearing. Even _I _might come running!"

Ellie laughed, "Dude, shut the fuck up."

"Just the truth..." Riley smiled as her shoulders were shrugged, "So... you comin or not?"

"Hmm..." Ellie stood, mock considering whether or not to tag along.

Riley put on her best puppy dog face, dying to get the red head to join her for the night.

Ellie sighed, fighting the smile that threatened to break her serious mug, "Fine. Give me five, I'll be out soon."

**X**

Riley leaned against her truck and grinned as Ellie came through the front door, having traded her pajamas for jeans and a hoodie, she looked more fit for a night out with Riley.

"Lookin fancy." She mocked as Ellie approached.

"Oh ha. ha." The smaller girl replied while shoving her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie, "What were you expecting? A maxi dress and some McQueen's?"

The older girl grimaced, "McQueen's? The hell is-"

"Shoe brand." Ellie replied quickly, anticipating Riley's confusion, "Why dontcha catch up on "America's Next Top Model" sometime?"

Riley scoffed, "No thanks, short-stuff." She opened the door to her truck, "Now let's get goin, we don't wanna be late."

The red head smiled and made her way around to the passenger side.

**X**

The two girls rode smoothly down the road, the slight hum of music filling the truck's compact space.

Ellie sat with her elbow hanging out of the open window, and her eyes closed, enjoying the coolness of the autumn air.

Riley occasionally glanced over at her friend and struggled to keep a small smile from surfacing.

A few minutes passed before Ellie opened her eyes again and turned towards the girl next to her.

"So, you planning on telling me where we're goin' anytime soon?"

Riley grinned, "Hm... I don't know. I was considering keeping it a secret but, I guess I'll tell you, in case you want to stop for some snacks."

Ellie smiled back, "Alright... go on then, tell me."

Her friend's voice changed to a dramatic, deep tone as she began making motions with her hand, "A flash back to the past! A dip into adventure! Pop that popcorn, take a seat, and get ready for the back to back premiere of..."

Ellie giggled and played along, "Pause for dramatic affect!"

"Back to the Future and The Goonies! Two hilarious classics that'll make your night _bite_!"

The red head continued to laugh at her friends little introduction, the 'performer' beaming a proud smile.

"At least... That's what it said on the website. So... how does that sound? A classic night at the drive-ins?"

"You're such a dork." Ellie spoke through fits of light giggles, "But... it sounds," A tiny smile pulled at her lips, "perfect."

She leaned back into the window and closed her eyes.

_Riley always seemed to go through so much to make me smile again... I know she wants to go to the drive-ins too but... she always finds a way to make it seem all about me- in a good way of course- no matter where we're going. To fairs, movies, bookstores, or just a quick run to get ice cream or something. She's always... put me first. And she's the only person in my life who's ever done that. I love her._

The thought and realization hit Ellie at the simultaneously, making Ellie snap open her eyes.

_I love her._

She gazed over at Riley, sitting in the drivers seat, eyes ahead, tapping her thumb to the music.

_Like, really love her._

Her skin was glowing and her eyes were a gorgeous dark brown.

_She's so... so... _

Riley turned her head slightly and glanced at the red head. When she met eyes with her, a wide grin stretched across her face before returning her eyes to the road.

_Beautiful._

Ellie could feel her face begin to grow red, heat rising to the surface. Thank god Riley was occupied with the road and wouldn't be able to look too long to see Ellie's blush. She gazed out of the window, her thoughts running a million miles per minute. _This is gonna be a long night..._ Ellie sighed as the truck sped down the street.

**X**

The two girls rode the rest of the way to the movies, stopping once at a gas station to pick up some "mandatory" snacks. They arrived to the drive-ins shortly after.

"Jesus, Riley, drive much?" Ellie accused with playfulness in her voice.

"Shut up, carrot top! I know what I'm doing." Riley snapped back, mainly focused on backing her clunky truck into a very tight fitting spot.

"Carrot tops are green." The red head bounced back with a smirk.

"Yeah whatever, smartass." Riley responded with a small chuckle. "There!" She clapped her hands together before putting the truck in park, "Perfection."

Ellie turned around in her seat to look at the back end of a very crookedly parked truck. She laughed, "Whatever you say, Earnhardt the second."

"What the fuck is up with your references." Riley began.

"He's a famous Nascar driver!" Ellie responded, "Jesus, do you ever watch TV?" She popped open the truck's door and hopped out onto the worn grass.

After grabbing bundles of blankets and two pillows, Riley did the same, but with slightly more difficulty than Ellie.

"Hey, wanna help me out here!?" Riley yelled with her teeth gritted around a pillow, unable to hold it with her hands.

The smaller girl rushed around the truck to grab the pillow from her friends teeth, and a few blankets from her arms.

They climbed into the back of Riley's truck and put layers upon layers of blankets down, along with a few pillows. Within a few minutes they had created their own little cocoon to shield them from the cold autumn air.

After the hostess went back to the cab of the truck and grabbed their snacks, she settled down into the blankets, her friend doing the same. The snacks were dispersed just as the huge, stretched canvas in front of them lit up, flashing the two movie titles across the screen.

Riley's eyes intently watched the pictures, occasionally popping an m&amp;m into her mouth. Her friend gazed at her, an unstoppable smile appearing on her lips. Both of the girls settled in once their snacks were finished, they focused completely on the movie now... At least one of them did.

Ellie couldn't stop thinking about the older girl sitting maybe six inches away from her. It was six inches too many in her mind. Every once in awhile she mentally dared herself to lean into Riley... but she backed out of every attempt.

_Goddammit, why do I have to be such a chicken? Just do it, she's your best friend. Touching is a very normal, common thing between you two. Just... do it!_

Another cold, evening breeze blew through the truck bed. The gusts had been getting stronger each time, and the sky seemed to be covered in clouds, the moon no where to be seen.

Ellie shivered and whispered, "Damn... I should've brought a hat or something." She hugged her arms around her torso, trying to comfort herself in the chill air.

"Gettin' cold short-stuff?" Riley chuckled slightly. The blankets shifted slightly, and the next thing Ellie knew, there was an arm wrapped around her shoulders and a warmth invading her entire right side.

Riley didn't say anything, just returned to the movie and acted as if the situation hadn't changed one bit. Ellie, on the other hand, was blushing profoundly, her entire body tensing up at the sudden contact.

_Why's it so fucking easy for her to do shit like this... Unfair._

Just as the thought crossed Ellie's mind, she felt a small tap on the bridge of her nose. And another on her cheek, and then multiple taps all over her body. With eyes squinted, she looked up at the sky as the rain began to pour.

"Holy shit! Ellie, dude, grab the blankets, hurry!" The older girl has already gotten up and was gathering blankets in her arms. The red head mimicked her friends actions, the two of them frantically gathering up everything and scrambling into the cab.

With both doors slammed shut, they were sheltered from the pelting raindrops and thunder rolling through out the grounds.

"Jesus..." Ellie breathed whilst throwing the bundle of blankets into the backseat, her friend doing the same, "That came out of no where."

"Yeah no shit," Riley replied lightly before looking out the window, met with the sight of dozens of cars lined bumper to bumper, ready to leave as soon as possible. "Guess we're not getting out of here anytime soon." The older girl sighed and settled down into her seat.

Ellie only nodded in response. _Really? As soon as she puts her arm around me you decide to dump loads of water on us. Fuck you, rain gods._

"Well... to make things a little less shitty, how bout some music?" Riley suggested while turning on the car radio and glancing at Ellie, "Any requests?"

Ellie slumped into her seat and leaned her elbow against the ledge, "Hmm... nothin' really comes to mind. You choose."

The taller girl inserted a CD and switched it to a random track. Soft, light music followed. Riley cranked up the volume, considering the pounding rain made it hard to hear. The cab was filled with bass, acoustic guitar, and a soft, male voice, accompanied by crackles and taps on the roof from the downpour.

The younger girl smiled and leaned back on the headrest, her mind still buzzing with her newly found feelings for the girl sitting next to her.

_I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. I mean I've always loved her, she's my best friend, but as soon as I thought about it tonight, it seemed to possess an entirely new meaning, a stronger meaning. And she's a girl. Since when was I into fucking girls? Uh- I didn't mean that literally... Anyway, I guess it doesn't bother me too much... It's not like I have anyone to tell. Dad won't care, and I don't exactly have a lot of friends. The only reason it worries me is because of Riley, I have no idea how she feels about that kinda stuff. She's a very loving, accepting person as far as I know, so hopefully if I do end up having to tell her, she'll react well. She better react well. She's kind of all I have left. _

With that thought, Ellie, for what felt like the millionth time tonight, turned and looked at Riley sitting next to her. Her silhouette barely outlined by the many headlights outside. She was staring intently ahead, seeming to be in deep thought. Which was very strange for her to do, especially in front of Ellie.

The girls staring continued for about ten more seconds, before she turned and noticed Ellie's eyes watching her. But, as soon as their eyes locked, Ellie's broke away and glanced around, trying to look anywhere besides the eyes of the beautiful girl in front of her.

Riley only chuckled, "What's up carrot top? You've seemed to have something stuck to your mind all night." She paused as a pitiful expression came over her features, "Oh crap... is it another thing with your dad?

Ellie shook her head, "No, no its not that, it's nothing actually... there's nothing specific bothering me."

The taller girl's features lightened, "Oh, okay... good then." A small smile appeared on her lips. Ellie returned it, internally thanking her friend for her consideration.

"Now let's get the hell outta here." Riley turned the key, lighting the ignition, "The cars seemed to have mostly cleared out." She shifted the truck into drive and slowly pulled the car out of the, now muddy, lawn. The rain continued to pelt the vehicles windshield as they moved.

The two girls chatted calmly as the young driver pulled out of the drive-ins and onto the road, small laughs interrupting the dialogue every once in awhile.

After one of these fits of laughter calmed down Riley asked, "Hey so... Your house seemed gloomier than usual tonight, and with all this rain making it hard to see, it'd be easier to just go to my house, since, you know, it's closer and I know the streets better... Do you wanna crash at my place tonight?"

Ellie's stomach jumped at the unexpected question. Riley had asked lots of times before for a sleepover, but, just like many things tonight, it was different than usual. Ellie mentally cursed herself for stuttering slightly as she said, "Yeah, dude. That sounds cool." She flashed a thumbs up, which Riley quickly glanced at with a smile.

A grin stretched across the smaller girls face as the truck slowly ran down the watery street, trudging towards the Abel residence.

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**Okay so there we go, part 1 of this 2 part "one-shot" type deal. Obviously it isn't technically a one-shot, but after part two goes up, this universe and backstory will not be continued. I hope to see all of you at the second part, that will hopefully be going up in a few days. Follow, favorite, and review! Thanks!**


	5. Rainy Rendezvous- Part 2

**Mmk here it is; part two. Hope you enjoy!**

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"Welcome, to my humble abode." Riley made a sweeping gesture into her house, Ellie following the movement.

_Ugh, way to be cliche... maybe I'll really use that act and offer to take her coat. _Riley internally dissed herself for the stupid jokes, while sliding out of her shoes. _She's not even wearing a coat, dumb ass._

The taller girl watched as Ellie kicked off her sneakers, and then turn around towards her, waiting to by lead further into the house.

"Alright, up to my room." Riley said simply as she made her way up the stairs

The red head followed closely behind, entering her friends room as soon as they got to the top of the stairs.

The two settled in with small, standard banter, a light mood draping the space in the small room.

Riley walked into her closet to change into some non-soaking clothes, and returning with a set for her guest. Ellie changed as well, before the two of the sat on the queen sized mattress.

The older girl eyed the red head next to her, a strange satisfaction swelling up in her core at the sight of Ellie in her clothes.

_The shirt's a little baggy, but the shorts seem to fit pretty well. Either way she's adorable... Shit. I gotta stop thinking like that._

Ellie's hair was still damp from the downpour, sticking to her head, before she reached up and undid her standard ponytail, redoing it several times before giving up and leaving the auburn strands down. Riley watched, intrigued by Ellie's hair. She's honestly almost never seen it down. Only a few times when they first met a few years ago; before the young girl became too self conscious.

_Aaand, still adorable. _Riley thought, unable to stop her feeling-reflecting thoughts. _Just give it up Riley... you know you're way too into this girl to ignore these- uh... feelings? Saying it like that makes me feel like I'm reading from some cliche, fifth grader's diary... gross. Anyway, these "feelings" have been effecting me for a long-ass time. I almost want to just own up to them. So the weight doesn't have to sit on my shoulders anymore... Especially when I'm around her. All I want to do is scream it at the top of my lungs... just tell her how amazing she is, and how much I care about her, considering her dad doesn't give a single shit, she needs to know that at least someone cares. And that the someone is me. I just need her to know... how- how beautiful she is. _

"Hey, I got an idea!"

Ellie's familiar voice cut through Riley's internal monologue; Riley, herself, being startled, thinking for a split second that Ellie might have been able to hear her thoughts, but immediately dismissing it, aware that it's impossible.

The older girl turned and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Since we didn't get to finish the drive-in movies," Ellie stood up in excitement, "we're gonna have our own movie night!" A grin stretched across her face and her eyes glowed with anticipation.

Riley couldn't resist that look on her face. A smirk took over her face as she stood up and replied with, "Hell yeah, but..." She pointed a finger at her friend, "On one condition."

The smaller girl raised her eyebrows, "And that would be..?"

Riley continued, "We gotta build a pillow fort." Her smile remaining.

A smile of her own beamed on Ellie's face, "Well, obviously-"

The older girl interrupted, "_And_... you gotta leave your hair down the entire time."

The red head huffed, "You said _one _condition."

"Well, I changed my mind." Riley smirked, "You look cute with it down anyway."

Ellie's smile dropped while her cheeks grew a pinkish tint. She reached a timid hand up to play with, or slightly cover up, the locks of hair, "Y-yeah, well... whatever." She suddenly grabbed Riley's hand and tugged her towards the door, her excitement returning, "Come on! Let's go get some blankets!"

A chuckle slipped out of the taller girl, "What are you, _twelve?_" she said mocking Ellie's excitement.

"Hey!" She defended, "_You're _the one who insisted on building it!"

"Sure, sure..." Riley cooed as they made their way downstairs to gather the supplies.

**X**

Twenty minutes later, the girls has a small, wobbly, makeshift shelter, some pillows, and a few of their favorite films.

They settled into the fort and inserted the first movie, "_Scott Pilgrim vs. The World_"

Riley giggled at Ellie's excitement as she laid down next to the girl, both of them on their stomachs, "I can't believe you actually like this nerdy movie."

An elbow bumped into Riley's own, "I can't believe you _don't _like this nerdy movie." Ellie replied before locking her eyes on the screen.

A comfortable silence fell over the two as they watched the movie, laughter occasionally cutting through it.

**X**

After only about an hour, both girls were yawning and resting their heads on their hands.

Another yawn emitted from Riley as she began to weakly say, "You wanna call it quits for today?"

"I'm glad you were thinking the same thing." Ellie replied while rubbing her watery eyes with balled up fists.

_Jesus, she looks like such a little kid when she does that. _

A crooked yawn escaped from the younger girls mouth as an overwhelming feeling balled up inside of Riley.

_Maybe... Maybe I should tell her. Ya know, what I'm like... feeling. What's the worst that could happen? Nothing too bad, right?_

Riley shook her head in an attempt to clear her jumbled thoughts, just as Ellie crawled forward to shut off the TV and DVD player. She crawled back and they mirrored each others movements by turning onto their backs for a more comfortable sleeping position.

Darkness encased their small shelter and a similar silence settled in again, leaving Riley to return to her thinking.

_I wanna say it... I think- I think I wanna say it but, do I really? Or do I just wanna get it off my chest. Maybe if I just hold off... But, I have been holding off for months now and I'm sick of it. No, I want to tell her because it's getting hard to handle. Ellie couldn't react that bad could she? I at least know she wouldn't be a bitch about it... She's always been understanding of other things... she'll probably understand this. Even if she doesn't like me back. _

A slight sting settled in Riley's core at that thought.

_But... but she might like me back, right? It's possible... But it's also possible that she won't. I'll never know if I don't say something. And I want to know... really fucking badly. _

Riley wanted to flip herself around and scream into her pillow, or sink down into the blankets and just disappear. Both options were very appealing. But, she obviously didn't. She laid still on her back, her shoulder barely touching Ellie's. Riley's eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could see blurred tones of black, grey, and blue all around her. Riley could tell her friend wasn't asleep yet from her breath. It was still short and almost forced.

_Why hasn't she gone to sleep yet? _Riley thought, s_he seemed exhausted when we laid down. Whatever, this just gives me more time to say it._ She mentally sighed.

_Right... say it. Say it tonight. Right here. After three months of being a damn coward, I'm gonna own up and say it. Alright..._

Riley took a long deep breath and slowly let it out, prepping herself for the moment she'd been sitting on for months.

_It's now or never..._

Riley inhaled a short breathe of air just as Ellie began speaking.

"Hey Riley?"

It threw the darker skinned girl completely off guard, leaving her unable to respond for several moments. And when she did it came out shaky and unsure, "Y-yeah?"

The red head sat up into a sitting position, lowering her head slightly to avoid touching the blanket draped over them. Riley copied her movements, "Something on your mind?" She asked, her nervousness replaced with concern.

"Well I- uh... I just wanted to- to thank you." She scratched the back of her neck slightly out of embarrassment.

"Huh?" Riley breathed. She knitted her eyebrows together and waited for Ellie to continue

She took a quick breath before doing so, "It's just that... you're _always_ around- uh I-I mean that in a good way!" She rushed before Riley calmed her with a slight chuckle, letting her know she gets it. "And, you're always there just when I'm beginning to feel lonely. I don't know how you do it, but you do." The smaller girl said with slight amusement in her voice and a smile tugging at her lips. "You always care about what I have to say, and you always ask my opinion on things and you make me feel so happy and... and... I'm just, really fucking lucky I have you." She trailed off, a blush beginning to coat her face as she looked up to meet Riley's eyes.

Riley didn't have time to thank her back or say anything at all because Ellie began again, a slight stutter clearly audible in her voice, "S-sorry for being so cheesy but, really... _thank you._" She leaned in quickly, with pink, freckled cheeks and sweaty palms, and gave Riley a short kiss on the cheek, before returning back to her original position. Her shoulders tense and her eyes not meeting Riley's for a few moments.

When she did look up, Riley's face was flushed and her eyes were only focused on two things. Ellie's own and her lips. She continuously glanced back and forth, her thoughts churning inside her head.

She made the decision quick. If_ she can do it, so can I._

Riley leaned in, almost quicker than Ellie, her heart thumping in her chest, and planted a kiss, not on her friends cheek, but on her lips, and held it until she felt Ellie lean into the kiss and relax her body. Riley's move was definitely longer than Ellie's, but still ended within five seconds. Both girls drew away from each other with flushed faces and fluttery eye lids.

The silence strung between them was broken within a few short moments by laughter, both girls had giddy smiles plastered onto their faces.

"So... does that mean-" Ellie began with a glint in her eye.

"I'm totally in love with you." Riley interrupted with pink cheeks, but a smile still pulled across them.

"Well then." The red head stated with uncontrollable laughter spilling from her mouth.

The older girl joined in on the laughter before continuing with, "And you...?" She raised her eyebrows, waiting for Ellie to contribute with her feelings.

"Yes, I am_ totally_ in love with you too." The younger girl said whilst playfully rolling her eyes.

"Yes!" Riley pumped a fist into the air, colliding with the blanket, and immediately pulling it back down, "Shit. Forgot that was there."

_Yes yes yes I wanna do so much more than just punch a blanket but it'll have to do for now._

Ellie laughed while laying back down on the blankets covering the floor, "You idiot."

"Yeah... but, I'm _your _idiot." The older girl replied with the cheesy line while also lying back down. Hesitation crept into her voice when she continued, "Right..?"

Ellie responded by scooting next to Riley and wrapping her arm around the older girls torso, "No doubt." She said before giving Riley another kiss on the cheek, causing butterflies to rise in her stomach.

The red head yawned, "Alright, time for sleep, it's been an intense night." She nestled her head into the crook of Riley's neck, "Goodnight, Riley." She cooed in a dramatic, romanticized tone to get a laugh out of her, now, girlfriend.

The older girl laughed, "Goodnight, nerd."

Silence was placed over them as Riley looked down slightly at Ellie, who was asleep on her shoulder. She couldn't stop a smile from rising as her thoughts once again, began to race.

* * *

**Alrighty so that was part 2 and NOT the end of this story. I feel like the setting and relationship between them would work perfectly for many other cute one-shots. And I may bring in some angst involving Ellie's father. There just seems to be a lot built up and I don't want to throw it away just yet. So, the upcoming chapters will be based off of this universe. I'll try to make it so it's not necessary to read these chapters to understand the others, but if it is, I will add that into the author's notes at the beginning. Thanks for reading, and I hope you stay around for the next few chapters! Please follow, fav, and REVIEW!**


	6. Update!

**Hey guys! I know it's literally been like... a year, but I've recently been feeling really inspired to write again. I'm just not sure what or who to write about. I have no idea if the fandom for RileyxEllie and The Last of Us is as big as it used to be. So please please if any of you are interested in continuing to read some of my one-shots, please leave a review with possible prompts, ships, etc. Thanks to anyone who has ever reviewed my stories, and a future thanks to anyone who is going to review this "chapter." I really hope you guys give me some feedback so I can continue writing what everyone wants! See you soon!**


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